Int .ftitetropolis.
At a meeting of Mar) lebone electors, on Thursday evening, Mr. John Williams announced that Sir Charles Napier was not. going to Lisbon, and and had therefore determined again to present himself as a candidate.
A Court of Common Council was held on Monday, to consider the bill now before Parliament for regulating the Conservancy of the Thames. The proceedings lasted for some hours, with closed doors; the exclusion of strangers being defended by the plea that the discussion turned upon certain private communications between the Government and the Com- mittee of the Court.
A public meeting was held on Saturday, in the great room of the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, to promote the erection of a monument in honour of William Caxton, and to commemorate the introduction of print- ing into England. Among those who attended were, the Marquis of Northampton, Mr. Bancroft the American Minister, Dr. Bucklimd Dean of Westminster, the Reverend II. H. Milman, Mr. Macready, Mr. Murray of Albemarle Street, Mr. T. Longman of Paternoster Row, Mr. Clowes, Mr. Maclise, Mr. E. II. Bailey, R.A., Mr. Payne Collier, and other gen- tlemen connected with literature and art. The chair was taken by Lord Morpeth; who in opening the business of the day, referred to Mr. Milman in terms of eulogy as the originator of the movement, and gave an outline of Caxton's career, as the father of English printing. All the speeches concurred in the endeavour to make out the value and extent of Caxton's services by the mechanical facilities of printing, and the diffusion of the,English language with its press, all over the world. Mr. Milman avowed the "parental affection" with which he clung to his original sug- gestion as to the kind of monument. He thought a fountain should con- stitute a part of it, with lights at night—a type of purification and enlighten- ment; precise form and details would be matter for the deliberate consi- deration of the committee. The meeting unanimously resolved that there should be a monument, and that it should be placed in the neigh- bourhood of Westminster Abbey. The formation of the committee and of a sub-committee led to some discussion. It was at length decided to have a numerous general committee, to determine the character of the monu- ment; and also a mailer committee, to decide on the merits of any designs proposed. The list of the general committee comprises about seventy names, including Bishops, Peers, Members of Parliament, authors, book- sellers, printers, type-founders, paper-makers, and other persons, in or out of trade. The smaller committee, to decide any question of art, consists of Mr. Charles Barry, R.A., Mr. William Etty, R.A., the Reverend II. Milman, and Sir Rielard Westanacott, A.A. The Reverend H. Milman and Mr. Henry Cole respectively wein appointed Treasurer and Secretary. Subscriptions in aid are to be forthwith sought in all quarters.
"A Practical Man," writing to the Morning Chronicle, suggests that the bast monument for Caxton would be a" Caxton Hospital" for decayed printers. It might be erected among the buildings of the intended im- provements in Westminster; and might afford an asyluer for a certain pro- portion of decayed literary men as well as printers.
Several noblemen and gentlemen met at the chambers of "the Tithe- Redemption Trust," in Abingdon Street, on Thursday; Lord John Man- ners, the originator of the society, presiding. The Bishop of Exeter and several clergymen were present; the Bishop expressing great interest in the scheme. A sub-committee was formed to organize the society: it consists of Lord John Manners, Lord Robert Grosvenor, the Reverend Dr. Sprenger, Mr. G. H. Drew, and Mr. R. Few.
In the Court of Queen's Bench, on Monday, a case of considerable interest came on for argument: it was an appeal from the order of a Police Magistrate for the removal of a female pauper and child, named Bernie, to the settlement of her late husband; but the interest lay in a question incidentally involved in the proceed- hip---whether a marriage between a widower and his deceased wife's sister is valid. In this case the sister was illegitimate. After lasting two days, the fur- ther argument was adjourned until the 23d instant.
In the Court of Common Pleas, on Wednesday, an action was tried for a breach of promise of marriage. In the years 1842 and 1843, the plaintiff, Elizabeth Richardson, and the defendant Steele, resided in the family of Mr. Waugh the chemist, of Regent Street; the young man as an assistant in the business, and the girl as a servant in the family. An attachment sprang up between them; Steele always professing an intention to marry the girl, although distinctly told that she had no money; and when they left Mr. Waugh's house, they continued to correspond. The plaintiff went to the Continent in service: and the defendant commenced business on his own account in Brighton in which he had prospered. Suddenly Mr. Steele ceased to write to the plaintiff! On her return from the Continent, she weut down to Brighton to seek an interview. After the interview, the defeudant wrote several letters, dryly expressing a desire to drop any further correspondence. He subsequently retained all the presents she had made him. The defence admitted the attachment; but treated it as the boyish passion of the young assistant for the maid-servant "Betsey," which had vanished with the discretion of riper years. Mr. Justice WIffiams told the Jury, that a deliberately formed engagement had been fully proved, and that the plaintiff was entitled to fair compensation. Whereupon the Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff with 2501. damages.
At the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, Solomon Israel, James Magnus and Elizabeth Magnus, were tried for a miedtmeaneur in hating kept back a wit- ness in a case of ftlony. Anne Davis, a servant, had charged Philip Magnus, the brother of James with robbing her: the man was committed; but when his trial came on, Davis did not appear, and he was acquitted. It seems that the prose- cutrix had been induced by the prisoners to absent herself from the Court; they having previously taken her to a person they called an attorney, who assured the woman she would not be acting unlawfully. The charge was fatly established; and the accused were found guilty. The two men were sentenced each to pay a fine of 251., and to be imprisoned for two months; the woman was fined 101.
On Wednesday, when several cases of manslaughter were tried, Mr. Justice Patteson complained, that in such cases the Judges of this Court were frequently
put to great inconvenience, because no counsel had been employed-to conduct the prosecution: the Judges were obliged to wade through all the depositions to get at the facts of the case. Mr. Ballantine said that this was-the result of the nig- gardly scale of fees allowed by the rules of the Court: no respectable solicitor would undertake the cases for such remuneration. The Judge said, if that was Use case, a change ought to be made at once. Edward Thomas was tried.for the manslaughter of Joseph Dawson. Both were boatmen on the Grand Junction, Canal; they fought at Brentford; and the prisoner appeared to have, inflicted a fatal injury on his opponent. But it was also apparent that Thomas had not wished to fight: Dawson was a powerful man; and he had waylaid the accused, and forced him into the contest. The prisoner was acquitted. Two men, Leary and Wyatt, have been convicted of endeavouring to prevent a prosecutor in a case of felony from appearing at the trial: they have each been sentenced to be imprisoned for three months, with hard labour. After their conviction, the felony case was investigated, and the accused was acquitted.
On Thursday, there were two trials for murder, in both of which the verdict was for manslaughter only. M'Dunald, a carpenter, having got drunk with his wife, killed the woman by throwing her down stairs. Thomson, a labourer, also while drunk, caused the death of Anne Ford, a woman who lived with him. Both the criminals were sentenced to be transported for life.
A curious matter of litigation came before the Southwark Magistmte. on Mon- day. A boy, the son of an old soldier, had displayed extraordinary powers of cal- culation; his father had turned this to account by sending him round to public- houses to exhibit his arithmetical faculty, and thus gain pence. The clerk of a coal-merchant having seen the lad, ragged and miserable in appearance, offered to employ him; the boy eagerly assented, was engaged on the wharf, and was very happy in his new position. But the father did not relish the loss of the pence, and demanded his son: all parties came before the Magistrate. The boy wished to stay with his employer; the father would not assent; and Mr. Seeker in vain pointed out to him the advantage to his son of stopping in his situation: but as the Magistrate was obliged to admit that the parent had fall authority over the child, the selfieh father forcibly carried him off
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